Stuffing 2.0: Tamales for Christmas?

The Griswolds would definitely be up for some tamales for Christmas.

Photograph by: Mandy Stobo
, Swerve

Admit it: if you’re old like me, or worse, if your family’s fourth-quarter celebratory repertoire includes Canadian and American Thanksgiving, you’ve probably grown weary of our holy trinity of turkey-sage-cranberry. Maybe it’s time to shake things up, Christmas-wise. But how? Czech-style, with fried carp and pea soup? A bucket of Japan’s beloved (though bizarrely recent) Noel feast, KFC?

No, far better to stick to this hemisphere and a Christmas tradition born in Mesoamerica but now popular in infinite permutations throughout the Latin world: tamales. At its most basic, a tamale is a steamed capsule of ground corn surrounding a savoury or sweet filling, and held together by either a corn husk or, in more southerly regions, a banana leaf. At this time of year Mexican supermarkets abound with tamale ingredients and the large steamers that mark the terminus of the traditional family assembly line. And now that we have excellent Latin grocers like Forest Lawn’s La Tiendona (1836 36th St. S.E.) and the two outposts of Unimarket (128 50th Ave. S.E. and 2405 Edmonton Tr. N.E.), we can buy everything it takes to get in on the fun, even if tamales will never approach bread stuffing as a signature Christmas dish for us gringos.

There’s just one problem. Many of the tamales you may have encountered are even more tedious than lumpy gravy. For a food that spawned the unlikely expression “hot tamale,” some are downright insipid; long on goo, short on filling and flavour. Like bad perogies, maybe that’s the way grandma’s grandma did it, but we needn’t be so constrained.

Though tamales are often said to be time-consuming, that hasn’t been my experience. True, the filling may require long simmering, but the actual assembly is no more symphonic than composing a multi-layered lasagna. More importantly, there are hundreds of YouTube videos in which Latinos share their one-and-only proper way to make tamales—all slightly different, of course. I recommend you start with either of the classic stewed fillings using pork or chicken: chili colorado, which simply means red, or chili verde, green. The basic recipe below is a useful guideline, the key being to develop a rich chili flavour that is spicy but not necessarily picante. That, after all, is the job of fresh salsas on the table.

Now to the tamales, which start with two basic ingredients, masa harina or rough-ground corn flour, and dried corn husks. Soak the husks in water for an hour while you follow the simple directions on the package to make masa dough, though I recommend you replace the water component with a flavourful stock and even a measure of bold colorado sauce to ensure flavour in every bite.

Using a wooden spatula, spread the masa about a half-centimetre deep across the upper two thirds of the husk. Next, place a generous tablespoon of your filling (with fresh cilantro added at the last minute) in the middle and roll it up, then fold the uncovered part of the husk upward. Stand that upright in the large steamer insert of a pasta pot. Some people string-tie the tamale too, but that’s fussy and unnecessary. Finally, steam for one to two hours, depending on how thick you’ve made them, and remember that they will puff up in cooking.

Time to eat. Unwrap the tamale and discard the husk. It won’t look like much, but one bite and you’ll understand why that tender dough and spicy payoff make it one of Mexico’s essential comfort foods. Better yet, they are perfect for freezing; thaw out a couple, run through the microwave, serve with a slaw, and you’ve got a dead-easy Tuesday meal anytime. If you like that, consider experimenting with other fillings, like cheese, beans, yams or shrimp.

Now that you’re in the Latino mood, here’s another way to twist Christmas. Instead of the precarious act of roasting, consider braising your bird this year. Makes beautiful tamales with the leftovers, too. Feliz Navidad.

BRAISED TURKEY COLORADO

7 kg turkey

1 large white onion, diced

1 head garlic, peeled

4 guajillo chiles, seeds and stems

removed

4 ancho chiles, seeds and stems

removed

4 pasilla chiles, seeds and stems

removed

1 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp Mexican oregano

salt

pepper

juice of 3 limes

water (or beer or wine)

cilantro garnish

Lightly toast peppers in a hot pan, then just cover with boiling water. Stand 30 minutes. Once rehydrated, blend all ingredients in a food processor. Add to roasting pan with turkey, and enough liquid to reach 1/3 of the way up the bird. Cover tightly and cook at 250°F for 6 to 8 hours, basting occasionally, though mostly for colour; dried-out turkey will never be an issue. (Note: to make this verde, simply replace the dried peppers with equal portions of fresh poblano, Anaheim and jalapenos, plus about a dozen tomatillos and lots of cilantro.)

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